Fate's Game
by NouvelleNouveau
Summary: Once every century, someone is removed. They are not missed; they are not remembered. Elsewhere, they are placed, to begin anew.
1. Chapter 1

This entire story has already been typed out. It's written, saved, and ready to go. All it needs now is someone to read it.

Summary: Once every century, someone is removed. They are not missed; they are not remembered. Elsewhere, they are placed, to begin anew. That time has come, and someone has been chosen to traverse to another galaxy and time, where they will change history.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek or Star Wars.

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Fate's Game - Prologue

Three siblings, sisters Fate and Destiny, and brother Chance, sit at their father's feet. Time looks at his children, still young in his eyes, though eons old. He speaks in deep, measured tones, giving each word weight.

"The time has come again, children. The agreement must be met. Pick the being who shall be deposited elsewhere." The three nod solemnly. Once a century, someone is taken out, removed. That is part of the pact. Time, Nature, and their children will pick one being, the others will use the power given them for the good of their universe. The agreement.

Fate, Destiny, and Chance bend their heads together, whispering silently, weighing their choices. They pass over many, silent, until Chance speaks.

"Here is one."

Destiny looks closely and agreed. "Yes, that one is prepared. A good pick, Brother."

Fate laughs merrily. "An agreement between Chance and Destiny. A rarity. I, too, think this is the one. The decision is made, Father."

"Then we are ready." A cloud of colors wraps around the chosen one; blue for Fate, green for Destiny, yellow for Chance, purple for Nature, orange for Time. The spiral of color surrounds the one, lifting the being and pulling them through space and time, hopping dimensions and timelines, moving the one between universes.

Fate and Destiny look at each other. With this look, they hold a conversation, and Fate pulls a few threads of the tapestry of Existence. She studies her handiwork and nods, pleased with what she and her sister have set in motion. It is done. Fate and Destiny have made their move, as has the being that had been chosen. The game has begun.

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	2. Chapter 2

Fate's Game – Opening Plays

She awoke from a trance of lights, colors, sounds, and feelings when a white light flashed around her. She stretched out with her senses instantly, reacting to perceived threats. Above her, a dark skinned alien was thrown against a wall, weapon ripped from his grasp. Nearby, a golden-eyed droid of some sort tried to stand and was pushed back down into his chair by an unseen force. Once certain threats had been dealt with, she looked around, fully taking in her surroundings.

Sitting in a chair in the center of a control room of sorts, the bridge of a starship if the view screen was showing what was outside was a bald man wearing a red uniform. On his right was a black haired, bearded man, also wearing red, and next to him was a woman with curly hair. The dark alien that had threatened her with his weapon was still pinned against the wall behind the three. In front of them was the droid, stuck in his seat, and a younger male, no longer a boy, not quite a man. The bridge crew, perhaps?

The bald man stood, rising quickly to loom over the bridge. He spoke one word with annoyance, exasperation, and conviction. "Q!"

There was silence, but only for a moment, a moment that seemed to stretch endlessly. Then another bright flash lit the bridge, and when it faded there was another man there, dressed in the same red the bald man was.

This new man, who had answered the call of 'Q' surveyed the bridge. He was tall, with wavy black hair. His face was made of sharp features, and deep eyes that were colorless and yet every color imaginable. Those intense eyes swept the room, taking in every detail, though his posture was of a 'devil-may-care' sort of attitude, cocky, arrogant, and nonchalant. He was there, and yet not. It was like watching a shadow on a surface, wavy and faint, merely an impression. Underneath, on a different level, hidden from the naked eye, was another, powerful being, the one who this man represented. They were the same, but one was simply a shadow of the other.

"Q!" the bald man exclaimed again. "What is the meaning of this?"

"The meaning of what, Jean-Luc? I haven't done anything." _Yet_ was the silent addition to his statement, everyone could feel it.

"Then who is that?" Jean-Luc asked, annoyed. He pointed a finger at her, frowning.

"I don't know, _mon capitaine_. Have you asked, or has it not passed through your slow mortal brain yet?"

Jean-Luc, the captain, did not respond to that jibe. Instead he turned to her, asking the question he should have asked first.

"Who are you? And what are you doing on my ship?"

Q sighed. "My ship. Always 'my ship.'"

She frowned at the being, for calling him a man did not do justice to his power and true being. "My name is Deia Jade. As for why I am on your ship, I do not know. Who are you?" She replied. Jean-Luc introduced himself and the crew. Picard, the captain, then turned to Q.

"If you didn't bring her, why is she here?" he demanded to know. Q gazed at Picard condescendingly.

"Jean-Luc, I had nothing to do with this. You called and I was in the area, so I dropped by. If this is the welcome I get, I'll just leave."

"Who are you?" Jade interrupted. "You're not human, that's just your… shadow. There's more… underneath."

Q turned his gaze to her for the first time and Jade had the uncomfortable sense of being searched, scanned. His posture never changed, though. "Why do you think that?" he asked lazily.

"I can see it," she answered. This truly got his attention; he straightened and gave her his full attention.

"See it?" he echoed. "How could a mere mortal like you sense that?" he questioned arrogantly. Jade could feel her dislike of him growing.

"Because I am gifted with the Force. Because I can sense that on another layer, you are immensely powerful, without any blocks or rules save those you wish to follow," Jade answered, staring the being in the eye. There was a pause, neither willing to give, nor truly willing to attempt to overpower the other. The moment was broken when the android, Data, let out a cry. Not truly a cry so much as a note.

"Sir, it seems an anomaly has appeared before us," he said calmly to the captain. Picard reacted immediately.

"On screen," he ordered. Before them, pulsing rhythmically, a white whirlpool spun in the blackness in space. There was no discernible bottom, and for a moment Jade wondered if they had come across a black hole. But no, it wasn't.

"Full stop," the captain said, and the engines powered down, bringing the ship to a standstill. Then they began moving again, slowly at first and them with gathering speed. To one side, Q was concentrating on something, and looking worried when it wasn't working. Picard rounded on him, and his expression cleared instantly. Jade could feel his worry, however.

"Q! Stop this. I don't care why you're doing this, stop now!"

"I'm not doing it, Jean-Luc. And before you ask, no, I can't stop it. I did try. My powers aren't working." He added the explanation with a sense of finality. On the view screen, the whirlpool grew larger and larger, filling the screen.

"Brace yourselves!" Picard cried. Then the U.S.S. _Enterprise_ NCC-1701-D darted forward, falling into the whirlpool. Everything went dark.

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	3. Chapter 3

Fate's Game - Stalemate

The limp forms lay still, having moved from their original positions when the ship had entered the vortex. Worf had once again been shoved against a wall. Captain Picard, Riker, and Troi (the first mate and ship's counselor respectively) were all on the ground. Ensign Crusher, the youngest, had slid under his station. Jade and Q were tangled together, she having fallen on the later when the ship had passed through. In fact, the only one still in their seat was Data, who had not moved an inch.

The members of the bridge crew stirred slowly. Jade and Q untangled themselves, glaring, while Picard, Riker, and Worf stood. Momentarily everyone was back in their original position.

"Report," Picard ordered. Worf's fingers danced along technical displays.

"All systems online, sir," he responded gruffly. "Damage minimal."

"Casualties? Injured?" Worf looked at the displays and hesitated. "Well, Mr. Worf?"

"Captain, it appears that," he paused again. "It appears we are the only one on the ship."

Silence met his announcement. No one moved; no one spoke. Everyone took a moment to let that sink in. Of the 1,014 people on the ship, only six of the crew were left, in addition to Jade and Q.

"Where are we?" Riker asked, disturbed.

"It's the Continuum," Q said. "But it's not." He, too, was deeply disturbed, worried, uncertain. And he didn't like that, at all. He chafed at his inability to get out of there, to do something. Jade felt his discomfort clearly.

"The Q Continuum?" Troi asked in a soft voice.

"Yes. But, no," he muttered, almost to himself.

"I believe that what Q is trying to explain is that we have somehow entered an alternate Q Continuum," Data said formally. "Perhaps finding a way to leave would be the best course of action."

"Indeed," Picard responded, more certain now that he knew more. "Worf, can you perform a scan of the surrounding area?"

"Yes, sir. We are presently drifting through unoccupied space. There is nothing here besides the _Enterprise_ that I can detect."

"Thank you, Mr. Worf," Picard said.

"Now what will we do?" Jade asked. "There must be some way out of here."

No sooner had she spoken than shadows filled the bridge. When the darkness cleared, there were three more people there. It was an opposite show of power than Q's. While Q was bright underneath, they were shadowy. Sith, Jade would have thought them as, had she still been home. Their outward forms varied in shape and size, but underneath, they were nearly copies of each other.

"Who are you?" Picard questioned. "What is it you want with us?"

The three spoke with the same voice. "We are the ( ). We want what It wants."

"What are you planning to do with us?" Picard persisted.

"We will do what It tells us to do. You have no say. You have no voice." The three spoke together in a monotone, reminding many present of the Borg. Riker half expect the normal 'Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.' to be tacked onto their speech.

"Q?" Picard asked. "Do you know about any of this?"

"The ( )? No, nothing comes to mind immediately. Why not ask her? She's not from around here." He pointed to Jade.

"I've never met anyone like them, but I do recognize their… signature. The darkness. It's like the dark side of the Force."

"The Force?" Riker asked intrigued. Jade cast a glance at the ( ), but they weren't doing anything, yet. There was time for a brief lesson

"It's an energy field that surrounds and penetrates everything. It makes life possible, and binds the galaxy together," she responded, explaining one of the most basic lessons a Jedi ever learned. "The dark side relies on negative emotions to use and channel the Force, and often destroys the user."

"Intriguing," Data noted. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when the ( ) moved as one, and chaos broke out.

On an unseen signal, the three of them lunged across the bridge together each at a separate person. Worf leveled his phaser at them, but they brushed off the shots like gnats, and Worf was blown against the wall, sticking there. Data also rose, attempting to protect his captain, but was pinned into his seat. It was a repeat in the show of power Jade had used early, but with a more violent tinge.

Jade also moved forward, but had an advantage over the android and the klingon – her own power was able to dampen the affects of the ( ). She ignited her lightsaber, meeting the ( ) midway across the bridge. The element of surprise was on her side, and the being's physical manifestation couldn't defend itself. The ( ) on the other level, the shadow underneath, collapsed upon itself when the body it manifested as died, dismembered. Jade moved on, intercepting the others on their way to the Captain and his First Mate. The element of surprise was lost, but she still had the Force.

They reached at her, both in their physical forms and their spirits. Jade pulled on the Force, encasing herself in the bright energy field. The darkness withered on contact. On the physical plane, she twisted, evading the hands and conjured weapons of the ( ). They could still pull into being anything they wished, but while busy they couldn't attack any of the others on the bridge.

Their attention was split on removing the one with the light sword, and keeping the Q from reaching his power, restraining the members of the _Enterprise_, hiding them from the rest of the multiverse, and fulfilling their original mission. But even immensely strong, powerful beings cannot keep control of everything at once.

For a split second, control slipped. Q felt the ( ) relax, just for a moment, in dampening his power. He snapped his fingers, moving everyone back to the plane and timeline they had been in originally, before the vortex. Bright light filled the bridge.

But so did shadow. The first ( ) that Jade had put out of commission had collapsed upon itself like a star in its finally stages. Smaller and smaller it had become, until all the power was stored in a body so dense it was impossible to calculate. It kept collapsing, though, like a black hole, and like a black hole started to pull in everyone, starting with its fellow ( ). Q's power fought the ( )'s, and they two opposites exploded in a colossal mix of colors and sounds. Then there was nothing there. Once again, the patch of space was empty.


	4. Chapter 4

Fate's Game – Playing Field

Once again, Jade woke slowly. She opened her eyes to darkness, a blackness so thick she could barely see her hand in front of her face. There was a groan next to her and she sat up, feeling for her lightsaber. It was still there, which was odd, if she was in a cell like she thought. Perhaps she wasn't.

The person next to her groaned, and she examined their signature. It was Q.

Jade frowned. Of all the people to be stuck with in the dark, she wouldn't have picked Q. He was annoying, arrogant, and unhelpful, outwardly anyways. But what really irritated Jade was that it was an act. He wasn't really any of that, not much, but he put on a facade. And it bugged her.

But Jade was a Jedi. She released those feelings, opting instead to look around. She lit her lightsaber, and silvery-green light shone in the darkness. It was a flat plain, completely empty except the two of them. Q was sitting two meters away, tapping his fingers and frowning at the horizon.

"Credit for your thoughts?" she asked, crouching next to him, lightsaber still lighting the empty plain.

"I want one of those," he replied, pointing at the weapon. "And to get out of here."

Jade ignored the later part of his response, intrigued by his answer. From what she had observed from his behavior, it was a very un-Q-like thing to say. "If you want a lightsaber, you have to make it yourself."

"Why?" Q asked petulantly. "I could just snap it into existence if I wanted. I'm Q."

"Because a lightsaber is an extension of your body, a part of yourself. Each person is unique. Each lightsaber is unique as well. It's part of your journey in the Force, learning the art of combat, creating your own weapon that reacts to your will, a weapon that is an addition of yourself. By all means, snap into existence the parts you want to include. But build it yourself," Jade lectured gently. Q frowned in response, but listened to what she was saying.

"Will you show me how, then?" he asked, breaking a long moment of silence. Jade sensed his annoyance at needing help with anything, though he wouldn't admit that was what he was asking.

"Certainly." Perhaps it would help him lose his tough outer shell. Or at least keep him busy for a while. And it would test her hypothesis that Q could touch the Force; she had felt it early, albeit faintly. "Do whatever it is you do to pull in the parts you want to include. It can be anything you wish, technically, but you'll have to put it together. Now, sit up straight and lay those pieces in front of you. Breathe slowly, now, in and out. Feel the Force, the bright energy that surrounds everything. Reach out, accept it." Jade spoke quietly, slowly, guiding Q through a basic meditation technique. Her hypothesis had been correct; Q could touch the Force, quite easily in fact. She wondered idly if part of his power came from it. She also wondered if she was right in helping him with this, teaching an untrained, all-powerful being to build a weapon. If she was, or wasn't, she would find out soon. Either way, it was better to guide him than allow him to just make one appear.

She explained the technique for building a lightsaber, then left him to the task, watching him. His eyes were closed, his breathing even. He portrayed a perfect Jedi calm, unworried, silent, simply reaching into the Force. His normal arrogant exterior had been shed entirely, allowing insight to the complex being underneath. Jade monitored his progress, content with simply sitting by and watching.

Hours passed before Q came out of the meditation. He looked around in interest.

"Thank you," he said simply. "I've never seen anything like that. Such a rarity for an omnipotent being, you know."

"You're not done yet. You still need a crystal, to focus the energy into a blade and color it. One moment." She searched a pocket, remembering the stone she always kept with her, a gift from her family. Though the Jedi discouraged attachment of any kind, including family, Jade's mother had given her the crystal, one she always kept with her. She fished out the stone and handed it to him.

The lightsaber, when finished, was a very good judge of his personality. The handle was rough, dark, but had a certain elegance to it, a hidden personality, one might say. The blade was bronze. Jade eyed it, deciding it was a well made weapon. She voiced her opinion out loud, and Q nodded, rising to his feet. Finished will all necessary things at that point, the two picked a direction and started walking.

"Why can't you just pop us out of here?" Jade asked him, thinking of his display bringing in the parts to the item that now adorned his belt. Q scowled.

"I can pull things in, but I can't send anything out," he replied annoyed, then changed the subject. "It's strange, you know. Your Force thing."

"How so?"

"I've never felt anything like it. I've existed for eternity, I know everything, can do anything I want to. But I've never, in my entire existence, felt it, or done anything like that."

"Maybe you needed someone to show you," Jade offered. "No one can do everything by themselves. No one can even do everything."

"But I have. Everything!"

"The universe is always growing, isn't it? Getting bigger, moving? Time is always passing, and each decision makes a new dimension to travel to, correct? There are an infinite number of universes, and timelines for each universe, aren't there? No matter what you do, there is always more. Always. You simply have to know where to look."

Q appraised her, intrigued by her response to his exclamation. In eternity, no one had truly explained that. "Perhaps you're right. And once we get out of here, I'll show you all of it."

"Everything?" Jade teased him.

"Yes, everything. You're from a different dimension, and I could always drop you back off there, if you want. But here you have nothing you need to do. You can start again, however you wish. If you wish, I'll show you everything."

"I think that sounds wonderful. I would be happy to travel with you, and unearth the being underneath."

"Underneath?" he questioned.

Jade struggled to put it clearly into words. "I can see you hide behind a shell, a layer of arrogance and annoyance with everyone, a sense of superiority. But, I can feel that's not really you. Not the true Q."

Q was silent and Jade was afraid she had pushed too far. But then he responded. "The Q exist to keep the general balance of the multiverse. We push cultures to advance, to test the boundaries. It's easier to provoke them into change than to talk them into it. I've tried, many times, but pushing and prodding is often needed. We push them to see how they are not enough, and then they change. Do you understand?"

Jade nodded, accepting his answer. "Yes. The Jedi keep the balance too, though they do not change. I often think that will lead to their downfall. An enemy that has changed with the passage of time will come, and they will be stuck in their old ways. Yes, I understand, Q. Thank you for explaining it to me."

"You're welcome, Deia."


	5. Chapter 5

Fate's Game - Queen

Q and Jade walked for a long time, not talking, just traveling. They crossed many kilometers, but nothing interrupted the unbroken plain upon which they stood save the sound of their feet and the light from the lightsabers, guiding them. Finally, after an immeasurable amount of time and number of kilometers, a bump formed on the horizon, directly in front of the two.

By the time they reached it, days may have passed, for time seemed to flow differently on the plain. The bump on the horizon had become a hill, and all they had seen was the tower atop its peak. It was no longer a tower, merely a circle of stones, a crown upon the hill. They did not need to discuss it; both of them began to climb the hill. A light flickered at the summit, pulling them like moths to a flame. Once atop the feature, they looked down.

Blackness stretched in every direction. Jade called on the Force, using it to grab the globe of light that sat in the center of the stones and lift it high into the sky above. It grew, shining dimly like a dying star high in the sky, and opened the land around them to the gaze of its two lone occupants.

Nothing. There was nothing out there, save the flat, unchanging plain they had crossed. It was the same in every direction; there was no change. The hill was the only feature on the plain. On the plane of existence, it seemed.

"Now what?" Jade asked, dejected.

"Now," a voice answered her, "You turn around." And they did just that.

It was old, wrinkled, and malevolent. Like the others, It emanated a miasma of something old, rotting, and evil – a cloying, sickly sweet smell. Jade raised her lightsaber into a defensive pose.

"What do you want?" she asked carefully.

"To study. To learn. To dominate." It answered the question as if it were obvious.

"To dominate what?" Q asked.

"Everyone. Everything."

"That's impossible," Q replied conversationally.

"Not for me!" the thing replied, cackling.

"For anyone," Jade said. "You can't have everything at once. Existence wasn't designed that way."

"No one will tell me what I can not do!" the thing exclaimed. It motioned its hand, banishing them from the tower and over the side of the hill. "And you will spend eternity here for doing just that."

Jade and Q tumbled down the steep slope of the hill, unable to stop. They rolled to a stop at the bottom. Jade pulled herself off Q and the two sat.

"That went well," the omnipotent being said. Jade leaned against him. None of her training had readied her for something like the beings that had trapped them there, on a plain of nothingness for eternity. And yet, despite that…

"It's better than some things I've been through," she mused out loud. "I still have my lightsaber, and the Force, and I'm not being tortured by anyone. It could be worse."

"Familiar situation?" Q asked dryly, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Very," she responded heavily. They sat like that for a moment, taking comfort in each other's presence. Then Jade sighed heavily.

"Why?" she asked. "What did we do? It's like Fate has played a joke on us. Why only us?"

"Personally, I'm not one for believing in powerful beings that rule destiny and all that. It's hard to when you're often looked on as one of those beings. But as for a force, Fate doesn't seem to like us. Unless Fate has nothing to do with it and it's all bad luck."

"I don't believe in luck," Jade replied.

"I don't either." They sat there, content with simply resting. Jade tapped the ground aimlessly. Then paused. Then tapped it again.

"Do you here that?" she asked Q. He looked up, brow furrowed.

"Hear what?"

"Listen," she commanded, then tapped the ground. It resonated. "It's hollow underneath." She lit her lightsaber, angling it downward, and stabbed through the ground until she reached empty air on the other side. Then she pulled the blade around in a circle, opening a hole in the ground. She pulled the piece of stone out and moved it aside. Then the two of them peered into the hole.

The room below them was well lit and well furbished. It was also empty. Jade closed down her lightsaber and jumped, landing lightly. Q came down beside her. They wandered through a warren of well-decorated, eerily empty rooms, until a voice became prominent up ahead. Q put his hand out, and they both listened.

"Yes, now. No, I know. Yes, it's true. Move!" The order was barked out. Who ever was down there was very angry with its subordinates, whoever or whatever they were. Jade had a feeling they were the ( ), the beings with perfect replications of It's shadowy power.

They slipped into the room through a halfway opened doorway before them. The thing was standing on a raised dais, talking to thin air. It was mumbling, growling, and shouting to empty air. There was no one there besides it.

"They will bow, bow to me! I am their creator!" The thing began to growl to itself, crying 'Me!' repeatedly. Jade raised an eyebrow. A psychopath bent on world domination. Very cliché.

"Shall we?" she offered, gesturing to the insane being before them.

"We shall," Q replied. Together, they stepped out to meet It.


	6. Chapter 6

Fate's Game - Checkmate

It caught sight of them as soon as they stepped into the light. It turned to them, blasting power. "Why?" It screeched. "Why?"

"I'd answer you if I knew what you were talking about." Jade called. "As it is, I don't know, so could you please calm down?"

"No! It's all your fault! You took it from me!" The thing was beyond rage now, barely intelligible, though for what reason neither of the two knew. It increased its attack, turning its power to her and Q. Jade pulled up a shield using the Force and continued forward. "I'll send out my troops!" It threatened. "They'll wreck chaos upon everything! Just see if I wont!"

"He's not lying," Q called, hands moving before him, brow furrowed. "Get rid of him. He's pulling everything together." Indeed, he was combining timelines, universes, wreaking utter chaos through the multiverse, something Q was working very hard to undo.

"Alright, hang on, working on it. See what you can stop."

She pressed onwards, fighting against a maelstrom, battered about. It was slow going, but she kept moving forward. Jade kept up her shield, wrapping it around herself and Q, keeping him from most of the raw power that was moving around the room.

It was cackling now. It swept its hands around destroying the room around them, pulling as much as possible into the vortex that had formed around itself. And throughout it all, It stood, waving its hands and laughing.

Jade crossed the floor, and stepped into the vortex. She faced off against It, buffeted by power which pressed on her taxed shields. From the whirlwind around them, the thing pulled out its own weapon, a red lightsaber. Where it came from, Jade didn't know. They clashed.

The fight was surprisingly short. However powerful the thing was, It had no finesse, and no training. Around the room they went, until Jade drove the being back onto its dais. They paused there for a moment, silhouetted by the dark storm swirling around them and the light from their blades. On an unseen signal they clashed again and again, red on green, putting everything they had into surviving the fight, into winning. The thing was desperate, a cornered animal, but Jade handled the blows dealt well, holding her own.

In his panic, the thing left an opening, a second of misdirected attention. Taking the upper hand, Jade thrust forward, skewering the being through the chest. The thing looked down at the silver-green blade sticking through its torso. Then It exploded.

Not only physically, but the power he had collected too. Jade was caught in the blast, her shields weakened by the fight. It swept through her mind. Caught in the physical manifestation of such raw energy, she flew across the room, crashing into what was left of a wall on the far side.

Q watched her flying while he worked feverishly to sort out the different dimentions. The being hadn't bothered to keep an eye on its creation, and thus it was badly woven together and hadn't taken Q too long to undo. There, it was done. In an instant, Q appeared across the room, not bothering with displays of power. He crouched down by Jade's side, hoping she wasn't dead, and half wondering where the worry and care came from. But there wasn't time for that; she may have been killed by the fall, or the fight, or the energy attack.

She wasn't. Her chest rose and fell, she had a pulse. Q sighed in relief. Although, had she been dead, it would have been easy to bring her back with his power. And yet, Q felt she wouldn't have wanted that.

She lay awkwardly, arm bent unnaturally underneath her. Dark hair splayed around her face, her bright green eyes closed, and she was bleeding sluggishly from a head wound. Q brushed dark locks away from her face, and picked her up gently. Her petite body fit into his arms easily. With a burst of power, they were gone.

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In the sickbay of the _Enterprise_ everything was running smoothly. Dr. Crusher was wrapping the sprained wrist of a young boy.

"Give it time to heal," she told the boy, snapping her tricorder shut. "And be more careful next time, alright?"

"Yes, Doctor. Thanks," the boy replied, looking chastised, and then left with his mother. The relative peace and order in the medical facilities on the _Enterprise_ was broken, however, when someone appeared with a flash of light.

Q entered sickbay in his usual way, with a show. Not in the usual way, he was caring an unconscious woman. Dr. Crusher noted the patient and moved quickly, ignoring the meddlesome being and ordering one of the nurses to help. In a short matter of time Jade was lying on one of the biobeds, beings scanned by Dr. Crusher. When she was done, the doctor turned to Q, who was still there.

"What happened?" she asked him.

"There was a fight," Q replied vaguely. Dr. Crusher resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead gave the diagnosis.

"Well, the only physical damage is a concussion and a broken arm, along with some bruising. That will be easy to deal with. But, her brain activity is something I've never seen. It's like her mind is fighting something, or healing, or both. But I saw no mental damage."

Q nodded, as if it made sense to him. "Thanks, Doctor." Dr. Crusher nodded and moved to work on her patient, wondering what in the world had happened to Q since she had last seen him. Something big, it seemed, because he was almost being civil.

It didn't take long to heal the girl, who Picard had recognized as Deia Jade, a traveler from an alternate dimension. The two stood together by the door to sickbay, speaking about the Q and who the girl might be. Dr Crusher glanced up at the one in question, and her eyes widened in surprise. Picard furrowed his brow.

"Beverly? What is it?" Dr. Crusher hushed him and pointed, and Picard turned to see what she was staring at. Standing next to Jade was Q. He stood there and watched Jade as she lay on the bed, and was fingering her hair gently.

"What did she do to him?" Picard whispered wonderingly. Any show of affection from Q was often shown in sarcastic and cynical comments, or heated debates.

"I don't know. It's so unlike him," Dr. Crusher replied softly.

"I'd say he has feeling for her. I never knew that would be possible."

"He's still alive, Jean-Luc. He feels he has a friendship with you. I'd say more like, she's found whatever he hides inside himself and pulled it out," Dr. Crusher guessed. Picard agreed silently. The Captain and CMO of the _Enterprise_ then watched as Jade woke.

"How are you?" Q asked when her eyes opened.

"I've been better," she replied, rubbing her temples and sitting. "Where are we?"

"Back on the _Enterprise_. Dr. Crusher is actually rather good at what she does, but don't let her hear me say that. And I never give up a chance to stop by and visit Jean-Luc."

"So you have your powers back?"

"Yes. I would have healed you, but most of the damage was something you needed to heal yourself. You worried me."

Jade snorted. "I'm honored you care that much."

Q scowled. "Of course I care. I may be omniscient, but that doesn't mean I can't learn a lesson. You taught me a few. Thank you."

"Your welcome. Now that I'm all fixed up, I believe you have a promise to keep."

"I have a better idea than just showing you. What if I gave you that power? The power of Q." Q asked. Jade paused. Omnipotence, omniscience, immortality, anything you wanted within your grasp; it was an offer most would jump at.

"How do I know it won't change me. 'Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely,'" she quoted to him.

"True," Q replied. "The human race is very power hungry, even those who don't admit it. Except for Riker, that just backfired completely," he mused to himself before returning to topic. "But I believe you, Deia, are incorruptible." He smiled at her. Jade hesitated a moment, then smiled back.

"Alright then, Q. I accept."

She swung her feet around and rose from the bed, wavering slightly, but Q caught her and held her upright, holding her close. Then Q bent his head down and kissed her, a kiss she returned somewhat surprised, but not unahappy. Picard and Dr. Crusher watched, mouths open.

"I'm not seeing things, am I?" Picard asked the doctor.

"Not unless I am too. I think that explains it," Dr. Crusher replied.

"Who would have ever guessed the supreme Q would fall in love with a 'puny human?' Not me."

"Me neither."

Q released Jade, having granted his gift with the kiss. "We have an audience," he said, gesturing discreetly to the captain and doctor.

"I'm sure they're amazed by your actions. You ought to thank them, you know."

Q smiled mischievously. "Perhaps later, after I get them in trouble again. But for now, we have a multiverse to explore. And if we get bored, we can always stop in and say hello."

"Lead on," she offered. Q looked at her

"I love you, you know," he said after a moment. "I figured that out, when you were unconscious. I didn't know I would ever fall in love. But I did."

Jade looked at him. "I know. I love you too."

Q grabbed her hand, then they snapped in unison and a bright light filled the sickbay. Then they were gone.


	7. Chapter 7

Fate's Game - Epilogue

Fate and Destiny sit next to each other and watch as the being they chose enters the Q continuum. They look at each other.

"We made a good choice," Destiny says.

"Yes," Fate agrees. "She has done well in this situation."

"Now a century will pass. And then we will choose another one."

"For that is the way it is," Fate murmurs, and silence descends.

"We have done well here, Sister," Fate breaks the silence, rising. "We will watch them, but it is time we left them to build their own future. And if we get bored, we can always stop in and say hello." The game is not over, for it is never truly over, but this round is finished.

_**Fin**_

Ah, the end. Well, that took a while, but it's done! I really hope you liked it, because I'm pretty sure it's one of my best pieces. It sure was a lot of fun to write. Thanks everyone for sticking with it and reviewing and everything. I couldn't have kept it up without you all. Thanks to Azaelia, Captain Darius Barakis, Orange Duck, kmcat, imarandomperson, and everyone else who reviewed. Thank you!

-Creaer Doitean


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